fashion focus: etiqueta negra

Aside from being able to drool over Juan Monaco up close (I didn’t think he could look better in person…), one of the good things I took away from last month’s ATP Calendar launch was the discovery that Juan gets dressed by Argentine label Etiqueta Negra.

Thankfully, a friend of mine recently spent some time in Buenos Aires and filled me in on the brand. Etiqueta produces some well-constructed pieces in classic cuts and silhouettes, using raw materials of higher quality than other Argentinian brands.

Even better, Etiqueta’s SoHo store, which’ll eventually open on Prince and Lafayette, will fit right into the current trend of “concept” shops — i.e., displaying clothes alongside installations of brand-inspiring items (in their case: antique Jaguars and vintage BMW motorbikes).

And in case you weren’t quite sold on their upscale feel, founder Federico Alvarez Castillo chose a greyhound — think racing dog, not mass transit — as the brand’s logo, and is the official outfitter of a polo team.

FYI: Unlike Monaco, David Nalbandian had an official endorsement contract with EN that ended at this year’s Open.

Browse: See Etiqueta Negra’s latest collection. And some images from a recent lookbook after the cut…